History of Gloucester County New Jersey United States of America

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Richard M. Cooper, representative, was born in Gloucester county, N. J., Feb. 29, 1768; a descendant of William Cooper, born in England in 1632, and one of the first English settlers on the Delaware river opposite Philadelphia. Richard was a member of the Society of Friends, and served in the New Jersey assembly several years. He was presiding judge of the Gloucester county courts; president of the state bank at Camden, 1813-42, and represented his district in the 21st and 22nd congresses, 1829-33. He died at Camden, N. J, March 10, 1844.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Samuel Gibbs French, soldier, was born in Gloucester county, N.J., Nov. 22, 1818; son of Samuel and Rebecca (Clark) French; and a direct descendant from Thomas French, who was baptized in the church in Nether-Hayford, Northamptonshire, England, in 1537, and whose descendant, Thomas French, left the church of England, became a Quaker, was persecuted and imprisoned, and finally, on July 23, 1680, landed in Burlington, West New Jersey, with his wife and nine children, being one of the landed proprietors there. Samuel G. French acquired his early education chiefly at Burlington, N.J., was graduated from the U.S. military academy in 1843 and was commissioned brevet 2d lieutenant in the U.S. army. He was appointed 2d lieutenant, 3d artillery, Aug. 11, 1846; 1st lieutenant, March 3, 1847, and captain on the staff, assistant quartermaster, U.S.A., Jan. 12, 1848. He served with distinction in the Mexican war, being brevetted 1st lieutenant, Sept. 23, 1846, "for gallant and meritorious conduct in the several conflicts at Monterey"; and captain, Feb. 23, 1847, for gallantry at Buena Vista. He resigned from the army in April, 1856, and became a planter in Greenville, Miss. On Feb. 12, 1861, he was appointed chief of ordnance in the army of the state of Mississippi; and on Oct. 23, 1861, was appointed brigadier-general of the provisional army of the Confederate States and major-general, Aug. 31, 1862. He commanded a brigade and subsequently a division in Gen. D. H. Hill's corps at Petersburg, Va., and led the demonstration against Harrison's Landing, July 4, 1862, and against Suffolk, Sept. 22, 1862. He was transferred to Hood's army in the west, and on Oct. 5, 1864, was directed with his division to break the line of communication of Sherman's army by capturing Allatoona Pass. Gen. J. M. Gorse defended the pass with desperate bravery, and when reinforcements arrived General French withdrew his division to New Hope Church. After the close of the war he went to Alabama, and in 1899 was a resident of Pensacola, Fla. He was married, April 26, 1853, to Eliza Matilda, daughter of Joseph L. Roberts of Natchez, Miss. She died, June 13, 1857, leaving one daughter. General French was married in 1865 to Mary Fontaine, daughter of Gen. Anderson Abercrombie.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

William Nicholson Jeffers, naval officer, was born in Gloucester county, N.J., Oct. 6, 1824. He was appointed midshipman in the U.S. navy, Sept. 25, 1840; was attached to the frigate United States, of the Pacific squadron, 1840-43, taking part in the occupation of California; to the Congress, of the Brazilian squadron, 1844-45, and was an officer of the Vixen, 1846-48, being present in all the engagements in the Gulf during the war with Mexico. He was promoted master, June, 1854, and lieutenant in 1855; was given command of the Water Witch in 1856, and while in charge of her he rescued the Spanish steamer Cartagena, for which service he was presented with a sword by the queen. He commanded the Water Witch in 1858 when fired upon by the fort at Paso de la Patria, Argentina, which caused the U.S. government to send a fleet of 19 vessels, with 200 guns and 2500 men under Vice-Admiral Shubrick, who obtained apologies and pecuniary indemnity, Feb. 5, 1859. When the civil war broke out Lieutenant Jeffers was detailed on ordnance duty at Norfolk, and he was subsequently put in command of the Philadelphia. He also commanded the Underwriter in the Burnside expedition in 1862, and the Monitor in its assault on Sewell's Point and Fort Darling, May 15, 1862. He was promoted lieutenant-commander in July, 1862; commander in March, 1865; captain in 1870; was made chief of the bureau of ordnance in 1873, and promoted commodore, Feb. 26, 1878. He introduced a system of bronze and steel boat howitzers and made improvements in the Dahlgren 11-inch guns, converting them into 8-inch rifles, and thereby doubling their power. He also designed a complete system of breech-loading guns. He published: Short Methods in Navigation (1849); Theory and Practice in Naval Gunnery (1850); Inspection and Proof of Cannon (1864); Marine Surveying (1871); Ordnance Instructions for the U.S. Navy. He died in Washington, D.C., July 23, 1883.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Gloucester County New Jersey

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